An 11-0 run in the first quarter put Jac-Cen-Del’s fourth-ranked Lady Eagles ahead to stay Saturday. JCD defeated rival South Ripley 57-31 in a non-conference basketball game played in Osgood.
By the end of the first frame, coach Scott Smith’s Eagles were up 20-9. Seven different players of the host squad scored. Emma Newhart and Desiree Sparks both scored four points while teammates Aundrea Cullen and Annabelle Williams both sank a three ball.
Sarah Meyer came off the bench to deliver a triple for coach Matt McNew’s Raiders in the opening period. Sarah’s sister Rachel, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago, was out once again for the fourth straight game to begin the season.
Jac-Cen-Del increased its advantage to 16 points at intermission, 34-18. In the second stanza, Cullen dialed up two more long balls for the Nesters while Sparks scored six on a field goal and 4-for-4 effort from the line.
Lydia Cornett hit a trey and a deuce in the second for Ripley.
At the end of the third quarter, JCD led 47-23. Sparks dropped in five more points for the Eagles while teammates Cullen and Williams each hit a bomb for three.
Katelynn Samples hit a two pointer and one charity toss in the quarter for the Raiders.
Williams helped close out Jac-Cen-Del’s 57-31 victory with seven points over the final eight minutes. That total included making all five of her free throw attempts.
Emily Flood also scored five for Team Green.
Sparks led Jac-Cen-Del with 16 points, Williams scored 13 and Cullen added 12 (from four, three pointers).
Flood finished with a team-best seven points for South Ripley. Samples and Cornett carded five each.
Sparks and Reese Obendorf of the Osgood gals and both Flood and Mya McNew of the Versailles crew all collected six rebounds each.
Jalee Rider of JCD had three assists and three steals while Flood had three swipes for South Ripley.
Key team stats of the night were turnovers and offensive rebounds. The Raiders committed 20 TOs while the Eagles made just eight miscues. Jac-Cen-Del had a 13-5 advantage on the offensive glass.
In the JV game, South Ripley had a big second half and came from behind to defeat Jac-Cen-Del 39-29.
The Ripley reserves saw Lexi Mozingo rack up 21 points and Lexi Franklin score nine.
Julia Meyer and Sophia Sullivan had eight each for the JCD JV.
The varsity game was heard on WRBI. We thank Jac-Cen-Del AD Kate Todd for the accommodations and hospitality and to coaches Smith and McNew for their time in our pregame show and for their stats.